Application of the Beckman JE6-B Elutriator System in the isolation of human monocyte subpopulations.

Beckman Instruments recently developed an improved version of their JE-6 Elutriator Rotor. At 3000 rpm (867 X g), lymphocytes were eluted from the chamber at flow rates of 10 to 18 ml/min. Small monocytes (362 mu 3) were collected at 18 ml/min over 400 ml while the larger monocytes (395 mu 3) were retained in the chamber until the flow rate was increased to 28 ml/min. These parameters differ from those previously reported by us when we used Beckman's original commercial version of the JE-6 Elutriator Rotor. The new JE-6B rotor required an increase of centrifugal force from 625 to 867 X g generated by an increase in rpm from 2500 to 3000, as well as an increase in flow rates to collect both small (17 to 18 ml/min) and large (26 to 28 ml/min) monocytes. The monocytes collected using the new rotor with the revised protocol have the same physical and functional properties as those collected with the earlier version using our previously published protocol.